The Agora Ministry seeks to inspire & train laypeople in the marketplace to live out and proclaim the lordship of Christ over every domain of their life.
The Greek agora, or marketplace, was where citizens could meet to discuss issues of the day - ethics, life, faith and philosophy. A Ministry for the Malaysian church by CDPC. Subscribe To Agora Today!

Thursday, November 30, 2006

Do check out this episode of Ockham's Razor in which Author Larry Buttrose takes a critical look at postmodern theory which has enjoyed great popularity in Universities for a long time but is now in decline;

Larry tells us;

"The rococo tabernacle of intellectual chic, Theory enjoyed vogue in universities worldwide, but now finds itself closely interrogated. So great has postmodernism's own crisis become that at the start of semester in a compulsory Theory-based writing unit at one Sydney university, students had their tutor commiserate for the pain they would have to endure, and hand around chocolates ... In some ways comparable to John Howard's like-minded scientists who have for the past decade reassured us that all is well and that the earth does indeed remain flat.

Chocolate-coated or not, Theory leaves a bitter aftertaste. Following a recent newspaper publication of my critique of it, the emails I received, overwhelmingly in favour, came mostly from graduates lamenting their precious educational time wasted on Theory as undergraduates. Despite ructions murmured within, the academy kept mum, but the Empire might well still write back, at a time of its own choosing."

Monday, November 27, 2006

TRICIA YEOH, a Senior Research Analyst with a public policy institute, wrote:

OUR prime minister, in closing the Umno General Assembly last week, said that leaders of a race who respect and honour the Federal Constitution must also be responsible enough to defend the rights of the non-Malays. He reminded his members that Barisan Nasional, the country’s coalition government, should make decisions based on what is best for the country and its people. Indeed, one accedes to our country’s premier a merit of consistency in calling for tolerance and respect for all ethnic groups alike.

Recent statements by his fellow party members have therefore been more than a little confusing to the public at large, leaving the following examples ringing in our ears.

Bangsa Malaysia, a fundamental concept in espousing national unity in our multi-ethnic country, has been rejected in favour of limiting the definition of Malaysians to Malays being the main, or pivotal, race in the country. Leaders of Barisan Nasional component parties have been chided for expressing their fears that the communities they represent are being sidelined. Strong and offensively racial statements have been reportedly made in the duration of the past week. An Umno leader was asked when he would use the keris (the traditional Malay dagger) some time after brandishing it at the general assembly.

Now, such assertions are reflective of either a serious contradiction in terms upon which our national leaders seem to operate, or a gross misunderstanding of the prime minister’s rhetoric of justice and respect for all.

In either case, the public is greatly puzzled as a result. It is becoming increasingly difficult to correspond Pak Lah’s noble calls for tolerance and harmony with those that are in blatant disregard of the most basic respect for humanity, perhaps even falling short of being classified as seditious.

Indeed and rightfully so, the Umno Youth Chief has cautioned that stern action be taken against those who play the racial card for political interests. To the keen observer, however, it does strangely seem as if many may already be culpable of this very warning.

A cost to national interest

This unfortunate inconsistency brings about several consequences. Firstly, it brings the level of national discourse several steps down the intellectual ladder. Quality debates founded upon informed facts, and not biased opinion, should be the order of the day. A great deal more time and energy should be spent on discussion which encourages new long-term strategies feasible for the country. Instead, recent babble demonstrates that Malaysians are contentedly myopic in its obsession with race and religion.

Secondly, it shows the lack of commitment to seriously tackling issues of national development. In such an age of globalization, economic competitiveness and ideas to improve trade and investment ought to be high up in the list of discussion content. Our neighbouring countries continue to improve by leaps and bounds in foreign direct investment, whilst Malaysia slides sluggishly to 62nd place, according to the 2005 UNCTAD FDI rankings.

The quality of tertiary education, both in teaching methods and content, needs to be brought to an international level. That none of these was the key focus of the recent Umno assembly, the country’s largest political party, is especially worrying.

Finally, if this perceived discrepancy continues, it inevitably comes at a cost to national unity – ironically enough, the primary goal that Vision 2020 sets out to achieve. The fear is that such sentiment of racial undertones, intentionally or not, would then seep to the masses. Nobody wishes for such a situation to come to pass.

Platforms of understanding

There are, however, solutions that can be sought. Basic ground rules should be set up and strictly adhered to. Statements that hint at compromising national unity in any way should be reprimanded. This should apply to all leaders in all public discussion, including parliamentary debates. Condemnatory insults of any race or religion should not be tolerated under any circumstance. In short, there should be conscious effort to move away from clamour and steadily towards rational dialogue.

Forming such common platforms of understanding is the first step forward. It should be collectively agreed that a basic level of respect for humanity, in line with Islam, is to be maintained, both in speech and in action. This agreement should not come as a result of coercion, but of willing and intentional decision by all parties. While it is true that many national policy issues will not be as quickly or easily resolved, at least one should stand tall as the benchmark against which all others are evaluated: national unity.

There is an urgent need to demonstrate that the political leadership is ready and willing to be consistent in its various policies and public statements. Failure to do so leaves the public in the dark as to which is the most accurate or sincere in nature. National interest must be seriously considered, a wake-up call that insular thinking will bring us nowhere.

If the government is serious about its philosophy of respecting and defending the rights of all races in Malaysia, then let’s have less talk about theoretical notions and more action.

I quote from Pak Lah, that “one of the nine thrusts of Vision 2020 is to create a mature democratic society. We have stated our desire to work towards establishing a mature, liberal and tolerant society. If we are serious about this goal, we must pursue the process of transformation with diligence.” I concur.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Wanna learn more about preaching or homiletics?Soo Inn has promised to conduct a course on preaching for friends in Bandar Utama Chapel and for Agora. He suggested to do the theory component in one intensive Saturday seminar.

Interested ones can contact us at hedonese@yahoo.com or sooinn@graceatwork.org "This will be a big help. I am looking forward to this seminar because I truly believe preaching God's word is not just for a few pulpit superstars (and we know what can happen to them) but for all of God's people. I want to empower as many as possible. Thanks for your partnership. Soo Inn"

The Objective of the Study is "to review existing and mainstream worldview assumptions and to reform our own thinking to evolve a biblical and Christian worldview which will guide us to think and act accordingly."

The Guidelines for the book study are:

1. It is a one year commitment, and the participant is responsible to get your own copy of the book. (contact Hedonese or Canaanland) Prior reading of the Chapter to be discussed is required and there must be a willingness to speak and participate at small group levels. Those who have not read the chapter cannot participate in the discussion. We cannot miss more than one session consecutively to remain in the study. Punctuality is critical, and all are advised to arrive 15 minutes before start time to fellowship.

2. We agree to "wait upon the Lord and pray for the leading of the Holy Spirit" in how the Lord wants to "use us in the public affairs of life" as a direct result and encouragement from the study. As the Lord leads, we will follow through these "actions" as a commitment to the Study Group.

3. Study Group members agree to become part and parcel of the Action Movement portion of the National Congress on Integrity (NCOI) currently jointly organized by OHMSI and GCF.

4. Format for each session:

-10 minute overview by a Speaker and some questions/issues to consider -60 minutes discussion of the chapter in small groups; and to raise issues which cannot be resolved -45 minutes of plenary discussion to resolve any unresolved issues from the discussion and wrap up

5. We will all endeavor to start our own similar study group elsewhere upon completion of this study. Also, at about the final sessions (Oct/Nov 07 or Dec/Jan 08), the meet days may be collapsed into a retreat away from KL and over the weekend to finish well and to focus on any really BIG ISSUES THAT REMAIN UNRESOLVED. We could even invite other Elders to join us for differing views.

6. Start date is 27th January 2007 and every last Saturday of the month after that for the rest of the year, except if festival holidays coincide. Start time is 10.00am to finish by 12.00noon. Place is fixed at CDPC (See Map available at http://cdpc.org.my). All are encouraged to arrive by 9.45am to fellowship before start time. A "willing and able hunger lunch fellowship" will follow for those interested and can spare the time.

7. Please pray that all those interested and ordained by God will be able, available and make the commitment to come. God Bless.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

The last 50 years of the worlds economy has been a struggle between the forces of the ideas of John Maynard Keynes and Milton Friedman. Keynes comes from the more European styled more government intervention liberal perspective and Friedman form the American styled conservative deregulated free markets. These two forces worked well correcting each other, so much so that I have heard a prominent economics professor say that the Capitalism practiced today in America would have been called Socialism 100 years ago.

My conclusion, learning from the great economist and lectures of our time is that the markets must be free enough to be a messenger to us – and then the government steps in after that to repair and restores the causalities left behind by the market, only when there are no other options left.

“Capitalism per se is not humane or inhumane; socialism is not humane or inhumane. But capitalism tends to give much freer rein to the more humane values of human beings. It tends to develop an atmosphere which is more favorable to the development on the one hand of a higher moral climate of responsibility and on the other greater achievements in every realm of human activity.”

Freer markets tend to develop the economy better, and a developed economy can produce more resources to help others. Now granted that the money may be hoarded by the elite, this is why the governance and policies of a nation are also so crucial, and in my Christian interest, I want to see the poor and marginalized helped with both their dignity in their self effort intact and when they cantput in any effort – then I want to see them helped without killing the goose that lays our golden eggs.

I post this mainly as a tribute to Milton Friedman, who passed away last Thursday, 16 November 2006. A great economist in the tradition of Adam Smith, he was known as the great champion of economic freedom in the 20th Century.

Friedman is best known for his monetarist policies – insisting that inflation is highly destructive and that only monetary policy can control it – but that monetary policy is a heavyweight instrument and cannot be used for short-term economic management. But he is also distinguished for pioneering work on other subjects such as the unintended effects of professional licensing and prise regulation, tax policy, and the theory of the consumption function.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

The following press statement was issued today to the major newspapers. Kindly read through and continue to pray for our country

Press Statement Nov 16, 2006

Malaysian Evangelical Christians Hails

Umno President Presidential Address

NECF Malaysia lauds Umno President Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for his firm and assuring statements made while delivering his presidential address at the opening of the 57th Umno General Assembly on Nov. 14.

His statements reflected his sincerity and commitment to his responsibility as the Prime Minister of all Malaysians.

NECF particularly notes and welcomes his specific commitment to:

Firmly act against any group, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, who incites the public with "bogus allegations and fictitious threats"; Reject any demonstration of the "new intolerance"; Strengthen national unity, to promote cooperation and dialogue; Uphold meritocracy and to promote excellence as the way forward for Malaysia, and "no race should be left behind in terms of educational attainment"; Eradicate poverty regardless of racial background; Enforce the rule of law in battling against corruption in particular; Advocate good governance: political leadership should provide "best possible example by displaying honesty, diligence, dedication and commitment"; and Affirm freedom of expression in rational manner: "a nation should provide channels that enable its people to voice their concerns."Although his speech was read in his position as the Umno president, NECF deems his message beneficial to all Malaysians as it aims at raising a generation of united and progressive Malaysians who are able to tackle the challenges of a globalising world.

However, NECF regrets the statements made by several Umno leaders, which appear to go against Datuk Seri commitment towards national integration and unity.

Their statements further demonstrate an unhealthy superior attitude by blaming on and unnecessarily issuing warning statements against the people of other races.

NECF notes with deep disappointment their statements that the rights of Malays were being threatened by the other races. Such statements made so publicly are likely to breed resentment in the hearts of our Malay brethren, and is definitely injurious to peaceful race relations in the country.

NECF is also disappointed by some Umno leaders for rejecting the setting up of an Interfaith Commission and discouraging discussion on constitutional provisions.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

The Puritan view of vocation not only legitimized all manner of work as service to God but also had practical implications in the way work was conducted. One such implication was exemplified in the Puritan’s motivation for his life’s work. Imagine a young man seeking to make choices regarding his career choice. What might he receive as career counseling advice from his Puritan elders?

Here’s a possible sampling of their sage advice which I’ve “distilled” into a few key takeaways –

Key advice: Have a high view of why you work

“Some man will say perchance: …must we not labor in our callings to maintain our families? I answer: this must be done but this is not the scope and the end of our lives. The true end of our lives is to do service to God in serving of man”William Perkins

Key advice: Don’t be motivated by fame or fortune but rather by a desire to serve.

“Choose that employment or calling in which you may be most serviceable to God. Choose not that in which you may be most rich or honorable in the world; but that in which you may do most good...”Richard Baxter

Key advice: Carefully assess your gifts when choosing your life’s work - they are a possible indicator of God's leading

“Another thing to make the calling warrantable is when God gives a man gifts for it…When God hath called me to a place, he has given me some gifts fit for that place, especially if the place be suitable and fitted to me and my best gifts…”John Cotton

Key advice: Be on your guard against selfish, worldly ambition as you pursue your life’s work.

“Take heed lest, under the pretense of diligence in your calling, you be drawn to earthly-mindedness, and excessive cares or covetous designs for rising in the world”Richard Baxter

None of this is the kind of advice we're accustomed to hearing or the kind of thinking we carry to work daily. We're not often exhorted to pursue work for the purposes of service nor are we advised to be cautious of selfish ambition. Instead we are often ambitious without caution and pursue work for wealth-building rather than service. This unusual thinking is at the heart of the Puritan work ethic. I suspect it sounds strangely out of place in the corporate world today not because it's antiquated but because it's counter-culture.

Here is a short tribute to some of my heroes of the faith who laboured to synthesize their convictions that the truth of biology and zoology and the truth of the bible must meet at the top. Men like Asa Gray;

The leading American botanist of the nineteenth century, Asa Gray helped organize the main generalizations of the science of plant geography. The manual of botany that carries his name is still in use today. Friend and confidant of Charles Darwin, Gray became the most persistent and effective American protagonist of Darwin's views. Yet at the same time, he believed that religion and Darwin's theory of natural selection could coexist.See the list.

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Health and wealth are two major concerns of many people. Therefore anyone who offers a guaranteed package of health and wealth will attract many people.

Three of the four megachurches in the United States belong to the Word-Faith movement. These churches are Osteen’s Lakewood in Houston, Creflo’s Dollar World Changers near Atlanta and T.D.Jakes’ Potter House in south Dallas.

The Word-Faith movement is also called the Positive Confession movement because of the importance it placed on the spoken Word of God and God Faith. It is also described as the “Name It and Claim It” movement, Health and Wealth theology or just Prosperity Gospel.

This article will examine the theology of the Word-Faith movement from the perspective of Reformed Theology

Consistent with the CPDC vision to leadership development, college and university students have undergone the Habitude leadership course by Tim Elmore. One of the young graduates who chose to remain anonymous shared an encouraging testimony of how the Lord taught her a lesson while she went for a McKinsey interview. (Just to give an idea how tough it is to get a job here, let's just say the process is similar to TV reality show The Apprentice)

Cause here you have to compete with a bunch of the brightest graduates around, going through a long series of workshops and get risk 'elimination' after each round.

The first assignment was to write an essay on "Which leader inspired you the most? Why?" My friend thought she would write something true to herself. So naturally, she wrote about Jesus and passed it up.

But when the Director asked the group of young guns, "Who's the inspirational leader you wrote about?" answers came up like "Clinton!", "Gandhi", "Mother Theresa", "Bill Gates" and so on.

At that point, my friend was quite embarassed. Imagine how politically incorrect in that corporate setting to say, "Jesus!" She remained silent.

But just then, the Director produced a selected essay and read it out: "This is the best essay I've seen. It's original and I want you all to be like this".

Guess what? It's her essay about Jesus. And she felt the Lord is teaching a lesson here, "You don't need to be embarassed of me. Stand tall for Me in the marketplace".

Wanna know what she wrote? Here is the essay:

QUALITIES OF A LEADER

A leader whom I admire greatly once told me, that to be a great leader, one must be the servant of all. As paradoxical as it sounds, it holds great depth of meaning in addressing the qualities of a leader.

I believe for a leader to be a servant of all he must first possess humility, a heart that is teachable. He must be willing to learn not only from the mighty and the strong but also from the weak, plain and simple. A humble leader is also one who is willing to serve and to work side-by-side with his followers, seeing them as his equals.

Integrity is also another essence of a leader. There must be a consistency between what he preaches and what he practises – ‘walking the talk’ in his lifestyle and leading by it. Integrity in a leader also means a steadfast grip to values and beliefs in all circumstances and to remain wholesome through it.

Finally, I believe a leader should not only have dreams and visions but to be able to inspire others to achieve them. He must be able to bring out the strengths of each follower and also be ready to accept their weaknesses with respect, while achieving the goal. As Peter Drucker mentioned, “The only definition of a leader is someone who has followers”, it is imperative then for leaders to have not only the above mentioned qualities but definitely more and beyond in order to have followers.

Saturday, November 04, 2006

A recent conversation with a friend convinced me that many christians in the marketplace are confused about what to do with personal ambition. As we spoke, I realized that he was struggling to discover how to pursue his dreams and ambitions without compromising his first love. I recognized the struggle in him because I've been there and am still there to some degree.

Ambition for the Christian is a curious thing. We are conflicted because we've heard the cautionary tales of Christians gone awry with selfish ambition. Yet, we feel the pull of a God given desire to be productive. It led me to explore the topic in a three part series on my Every Square Inch blog.

For those not inclined or don't have time to check out my posts, the key takeaways from the posts include:

Dreams and ambitions are gifts from God that we should steward in a responsible manner. Rather than retreating from ambition, we should embrace it as God's gift to us.

Not too long ago, C.S. Lewis could confidently assert, “Everyone who believes in God at all believes that He knows what you and I are going to do tomorrow.” Even my non-Christian colleagues are fond of saying, “I have no idea about what will happen. Only God knows!”

However, a group of prominent scholars identified with the "open theism" movement has recently rejected the classical understanding of God’s foreknowledge in favor of a more 'relational, risk-taking' model of God.

Let us explore the practical and pastoral implications of open theism on three crucial facets of prayer - namely, our requests for God to act in our lives, seeking His will for decision-making and responses in the midst of pain and suffering.

(I like the poem "Andai ada pelita di tangan, "Masakan disimpan di dalam peti?Andai ada genggaman garam, Masakan dibuang ke dalam laut?" Reminds me of how rich and dispersed spiritual gifts are in the body of christ, if you could help and willing in this project? Join in the party)

"Some of us may have been Christians for so many years that we have become too comfortable in church. We may not be aware of an inner shift in the soil of our inner spiritual life away from God. Maybe we have been praying less and do not attend prayer meetings anymore. We find less and less time to read the Bible. Where once there was an urgency to share about Jesus with our non-Christian friends, there is none now. We find ourselves putting less and less into the offering bags.

It may even have been years since we regularly examine our lives to see whether we are living a life glorifying to God. We share less and less with each other about what God is doing in our lives. Our emotions are more often full of anger than of gratitude. Anger is a sign that we are not content with what we have. If that is so, we may need to do some renovation in the garden of our souls."

"The famous Darwinist Richard Dawkins is especially virulent in his views and it is no secret that he thinks religious adherents are bigots and nutcases, and are the cause of the world’s woes. I’ve not read his latest book ‘The God Delusion’ but it’s already a bestseller. I picked up this quote from the book that says; "Stalin was an atheist and Hitler probably wasn't, but even if he was ... the bottom line is very simple. Individual atheists may do evil things but they don't do evil things in the name of atheism."

Well, I’m tempted to say that Stalin and Hitler and their ilk may not have killed millions in the name of atheism, but they definitely did so in the name of natural selection. Why Dawkins should point the finger at religion and exonerate atheism, needs no rationale. But why not invoke what is obviously a demonstrable evidence of survival of the fittest when people kill each other (whatever the motivation)? So what’s wrong with indulging in a little gene pool cleansing?"

"I was having a long chat last night with a younger brother of mine who’s in training for the full-time ministry. The basic essence of the discussion rested upon the reality that few people today understand the most fundamental functions of a minister, which are to conduct the sacraments (together with living the incarnational / sacramental life) and to preach the authentic gospel of Christ. Even senior pastors; they’re most often taken in by church growth models and programmes focused on acquisition and retention.

The model of ministry has evolved uncritically. A pastor is now gauged by how effective he is in managing a church which propels around programmes and systems. The pastor is consciously seen as coordinator, manager, and organiser; everything but the sacramental presence of Christ among his people".

Friday, November 03, 2006

Does Christianity allow its members intellectual freedom? Does being a disciple of Christ allow us the freedom to think? Jesus commanded his disciples to make other disciples, instructing them about all that he has taught them (Matt 28:18,19).

Did Jesus teach his disciples to think? “Who do you say I am?” Jesus asked Simon Peter (Matt 16:15). That is a thinking question. Jesus started by asking who the others thought he was, and then he asked Simon Peter that question. In the gospel narratives, Jesus always taught the disciples to think, guided them to come to the correct conclusions and to make decisions. That is intellectual freedom.

Does our intellectual freedom allow us to explore areas of knowledge that are not considered “Christian”? How we answer this question is important. One answer will lead to a wider concept of intellectual freedom. The other answer will lead to books banning and burning.

The concept of intellectual freedom will imply that everyone will have the freedom to express unorthodox or unpopular views, and the importance of allowing to be made available these unorthodox or unpopular views. This will mean that we allow our church members to be exposed to all types of knowledge, praying that our church teaching is enough to help them discern what is acceptable and what is not. I know this statement will make many of you uneasy.

What happens if these unorthodox or unpopular views unduly influence our congregations? What if they contain some ideas that conflict with our church’s teaching? Will it corrupt the younger Christians and our youth? Surely some of these unorthodox or unpopular views should be so deeply buried that they will not see the light of day. The church leadership should appoint themselves to be censors on what their congregations should read or watch. In other words, there is no intellectual freedom as we appoint ourselves as censors for the people of God.

Now what if other people think the same way as we do and appoint themselves as the censor or the guardians of our intellectual freedom? And these people have a different worldview than us? Does the pot then call the kettle black? The Home Ministry of Malaysia (KDN) has been banning books for years. Recently 109 books from one distributor were banned. see list. Why then do we get upset when the government restrict intellectual freedom while we applaud when we Christians restrict intellectual freedom on our own members?

I believe we should follow the example of our Lord. Jesus allowed his disciples the intellectual freedom to learn and make the correct choices. Someone once said, “All truth is God’s truth.” Moses was schooled as a prince by the Egyptians. Daniel was trained by the Babylonian court. Jeremiah sent a message to the exiles and told them to settle down and learn from their neighbours, the Babylonians. As a result of this openness, the learning and wisdom of the Jewish community in Babylon at that time was regarded as their golden age of learning. We need to trust in the sovereignty of the Lord and of the work of the Holy Spirit. As Gamaliel II said of the new Way movement, if it is of God, it will endure. If not, it will fade away.

Christianity should allow its adherents intellectual freedom to explore. Of course there is no such thing as absolute intellectual freedom. Even in the United States, the Supreme Court acknowledges that there are certain exceptions to the First Amendment (freedom of speech). These are obscenity, child pornography, slander and defamation, state secrets, and ‘inflammatory speeches’ that will cause riots. Aside from that there are the freedom to think and express one’s views.

Now why would the Home Ministry (KND) ban Read –Aloud Children’s classics, “Vogue”-Make-up, A History of God (Karen Armstrong), SpongeBob Square Pants, Dora, The Malayan Trilogy (Antony Burgess) and People Watching: Desmond Morris’ Guide to Body Language? How will these books corrupt Malaysian society? It need a lot of thinking to make sense of this.

And there are much more for Christians to think about nowadays: open theism, emergent churches, ancient evangelical future, emigration, to name but a few such thoughts.

Soli Deo Gloria

“If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.”— John Stuart Mill, On Liberty

“He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from opposition: for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself. ”— Thomas Paine, Dissertation On First Principles Of Government

"On Sunday evening, members of the Harvest Assembly of God Church in Penn Township sing songs as they burn books, video and CDs that they have judged offensive to their God."